Los Angeles man arrested in 1992 murder of Skokie teen

Written By BY STEFANO ESPOSITO And ASHLEE REZIN
Staff Reporters Posted: 07/24/2014, 04:38pm

David Chereck was last seen alive by a friend about 10 p.m. on New Year’s Day, 1992, near a 7-Eleven store in Skokie. His body was found the next day in Linne Woods forest preserve in Morton Grove. | Sun-Times Media

A 71-year-old man has been in arrested in California, and is expected to be charged with the 1992 murder of a Skokie teenager found strangled in a Morton Grove forest preserve.

Robert Serritella was arrested Monday morning at his Los Angeles home by Cook County and Los Angeles County sheriff’s officers, a statement from the Cook County Sheriff’s office said.

He was identified as the suspect in the death of David Chereck—who was 15 at the time of his death—after sheriff’s police spoke with witnesses and analyzed reports from the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Chereck was seen by friends on Jan. 1, 1992, about 10:15 p.m. walking home on Harms Road from Lincoln Avenue, two blocks from his home in Skokie, the sheriff’s office said. Chereck was found strangled by a scarf the next day in the Linne Woods Forest Preserve in Morton Grove.

“I don’t know how I feel right now,” the boy’s mother, Esther Chereck, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I can’t tell you very much. I’m just in limbo.”

Chereck said she is “absolutely” relieved if investigators have found the person who strangled her son.

A murder warrant was issued July 21 for Serritella, according to Cook County Court records.

Chereck said Cook County sheriff’s cold case investigators contacted her Wednesday to let her know about the arrest.

The possible resolution in the case comes years after the death of the teen’s father, Allan Chereck, who passed away in 2000.